Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 101[Vol. 6] - Greed and Fear

[Vol. 6] Chapter 101: Greed and Fear

In the end, Violet chose the [Human Gate] after a moment of thought. Although Xiao Kong seemed to want her to pick the [Heaven Gate], she didn’t press the matter. Once Violet made her decision, Xiao Kong didn’t interfere further.

According to her, the [Human Gate] was the most moderate and balanced of the six gates in the [Six-Line Array Palace]. As the representative space for the Human Path in the Six Paths, the trials here wouldn’t usually lead to death, but they would challenge you in a troublesome way.

As for what kind of challenge that was…

After stepping through the gate, which had the inscription, “Those who enter must experience the various human emotions, greed, fear, hatred, love, and desire, to pass,” Violet quickly understood.

The moment she passed through the gate, the scenery around her changed abruptly. The figures of Xiao Kong and Murong Yun, who had been standing beside her, vanished, and in their place stood a magnificent hall.

The room was filled with a mountain of treasures, piled high and stretching toward the ceiling. The dazzling gold and jewels sparkled in every direction, so bright that they nearly overwhelmed the eyes.

“Ah… So, this is what it meant,” Violet murmured.

She walked closer to the endless pile of treasures, bending down to pick up a translucent diamond that had rolled to her feet. She examined it closely.

This wasn’t some simple illusion. The treasures around her, as vast as they were, were real, tangible items. Priceless gems, gold, and riches beyond measure, enough to rival the wealth of entire kingdoms.

At least the diamond in her hand seemed legitimate, as her [Information Detection] skill confirmed there was nothing wrong with it.

In other words, if Violet wanted, she could easily pocket this diamond, which was likely worth millions of Four-Saint Gold Coins, and leave.

It was a true temptation, wealth within arm’s reach.

And that’s what made it so dangerous.

“Hmph…”

With a casual flick, Violet tossed the priceless diamond back into the pile of treasures. She glanced around at the brilliant treasures but remained calm, not even tempted to take a single item for herself.

These treasures weren’t harmful, and they were convincingly real. No poison, no tricks. But if she allowed herself to become greedy, it would likely make passing this trial by normal means nearly impossible.

She gently closed her eyes, blocking out the dazzling light of the treasures around her.

The [Heart Demon].

This was a term Violet had heard multiple times since arriving in the Ancient Spirit Realm.

The [Heart Demon] was a mysterious concept, something that existed, or perhaps it didn’t exist at all.

From a broad perspective, it could be seen as the other side of one’s soul. The more powerful a person became, the more likely they were to give rise to a strong [Heart Demon].

To explain in more detail…

In this world, any intelligent being with a “heart” would inevitably develop desires and emotions, fear, hatred, love, greed, and many others. As a person’s power and cultivation grew, their mind had to grow stronger to control it.

If someone focused solely on physical training without cultivating their mind, and lacked the mental fortitude to match their strength, a [Heart Demon] could begin to form in the shadows. This demon would then explode under the right circumstances.

The [Heart Demon] wasn’t necessarily a completely negative concept. In the Ancient Spirit Realm, it was generally accepted that no one could entirely rid themselves of their [Heart Demon], because it represented one’s desires. If a person lost all emotion and desire, they would no longer be human but something akin to a walking corpse.

So, even Ling Feng had her [Heart Demon], and Bai’er did as well. Murong Yun had mentioned his greatest [Heart Demon] more than once, and even powerful beings like the Peach Blossom Sage weren’t exempt.

Of course, Violet had one as well.

At least… she hoped she did.

The [Human Gate] in the [Six-Line Array Palace] was designed to magnify the hidden [Heart Demon]s within people. It triggered various scenes to provoke and awaken the deepest, most painful memories in an attempt to block the way forward.

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But unfortunately for the trial, Violet wasn’t someone who sought wealth or was easily swayed by greed. She didn’t care for these material things. Even if a hundred Divine Artifacts were placed before her, she’d probably just be curious about their properties and special effects, nothing more.

Just like how, after encountering the [Sword of Origin], she never once thought of claiming it for herself.

Though she often appeared to be calculating and unwilling to lose out, she truly didn’t care much for possessions.

When she opened her eyes again, the vast treasure trove had vanished. The scene around her had completely changed.

A thick fog rolled in from all sides, covering everything in its path.

Violet tried raising her hand but found that, even with her vision, she couldn’t distinguish her own fingers, let alone see anything beyond her immediate reach.

A faint scent of decay filled the air. A smell that only corpses and rotting things carried.

“…What is this?”

Frowning, Violet sniffed the air, and her long, holy staff materialized in her hand. Instinctively, she took a couple of steps to the side.

“Whoosh!!!”

A sharp, cold wind brushed against her neck, sending a chill that seemed to seep into her bones, causing her to stop in her tracks.

“Hehehehehe…”

A faint, eerie laugh echoed in her ears, as if it came from the depths of the underworld. The laughter wasn’t loud or even easy to distinguish, but it lingered like an unsettling presence, impossible to ignore. It was as though a pair of sinister eyes were watching her from the corner of her vision, waiting for the right moment to strike.

“Crack… crack…”

Not far away, a strange sound, like dry bones crunching underfoot on dead leaves, slowly approached. But when she tried to focus on the source of the sound, the thick fog blocked her sight, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

“….”

Violet turned her head, scanning the surroundings. Deep within the thick mist, she noticed a few faint green eyes, glinting like those of starving wolves, flashing ominously. The sound of saliva dripping, like the faint noise of a beast, followed the wind, sending chills down her spine.

If it were anyone else, in such a limited field of vision, with strange sounds in their ears and the environment ruled by an unknown terror, they would likely lose their composure and start running in panic. Someone more fragile might even go mad from fear.

Fortunately, the priestess was not so easily shaken.

“Hmm, I see. So after greed comes fear. The atmosphere here is well done, much more realistic than those 3D horror games where you fully immerse yourself. But, unfortunately…”

The black-haired girl smiled slightly.

“I am a little afraid of ghosts, but only when I don’t have a weapon.”

A flash of golden light appeared at the tip of the [Eternal Scepter of the World’s Heart], its gem shining brightly. The light spread, pushing back the fog like a rising sun, clearing the mist in its wake. Within moments, the eerie fog that had enveloped the space vanished entirely, revealing the true surroundings.

It was just an ordinary forest. The supposed stench of decay, the chilling wind, the eyes, and the strange noises. All of them were simply illusions, conjured out of thin air, fading away with the fog.

In this world, mystery is the greatest fear. Once the truth behind something terrifying is revealed, it often turns out to be far simpler and more mundane than imagined.

In the end, it was just the [Heart Demon] at work, scaring herself.

With a resigned chuckle and a shake of her head, the black-haired girl watched as the scene around her changed once more.

Note:

‘Heart demon’ refers to the inner conflict within a person, where an angel and a demon, representing good and evil, reside. The ‘heart demon’ specifically denotes the evil within, and can be understood as mental, conscious, or psychological flaws and obstacles.

Feelings such as hatred, greed, delusion, obsession, resentment, and infatuation all fall under the category of ‘heart demons.’

Heart demons can exist continuously, arise suddenly, remain hidden, grow stronger, consume a person, or serve as a form of trial and growth.

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